Chapter 28 - The Child Who Walked Into the Trap
The security footage showed Meadow leaving the SUV voluntarily.
No struggle.
No stranger grabbing her.
Her phone received one text.
COME TO THE EAST DOOR.
IT'S WREN.
Meadow climbed out while agents focused on the hospital.
She crossed behind two vehicles.
Entered a service alley.
Disappeared through a steel door.
Forty-one seconds.
That was all it took.
Claire's scream echoed through the command post.
Teams breached immediately.
The girl at the window vanished.
Claire tried to follow.
Priya physically stopped her.
"No."
"That's my daughter!"
"And we are getting her."
"You lost her!"
Priya absorbed the accusation without reacting.
"Yes."
The honesty stopped Claire for half a second.
Priya continued.
"And I am not losing you too."
Inside the hospital, teams searched floor by floor.
The building had been abandoned for thirteen years.
Yet cameras were active.
Doors locked remotely.
Speakers activated.
A child's voice came through the system.
"Wren?"
Meadow.
Claire ran toward the monitor.
Body-camera footage showed Meadow standing in an old pediatric hallway.
Alone.
"Wren?"
A door opened ahead of her.
A girl stepped out.
Same height.
Same hair.
Same face.
Wren.
The real one.
No crescent mark.
Meadow stopped.
Neither spoke.
For several seconds, they simply stared.
Then Meadow whispered:
"Hi."
Wren's eyes filled.
"You came."
"You texted me."
"No."
Meadow froze.
"I didn't."
The hallway doors slammed shut.
Agents shouted.
Signal interference flooded the cameras.
Claire watched as the twins turned toward the sound.
Walter's voice came from the ceiling.
"Pair Five."
Wren grabbed Meadow's hand.
"Run."
They ran together.
Claire's breath caught.
The girls moved through a side doorway seconds before gas began filling the corridor.
Agents in masks advanced.
Wren knew the building.
She pulled Meadow down a stairwell.
"How do you know where to go?" Meadow asked.
"I've been here before."
"With Margaret?"
"No."
"Who?"
"Walter."
They reached the basement.
A locked gate blocked the tunnel.
Wren produced a key.
Meadow stared.
"You planned this?"
Wren looked ashamed.
"I knew he'd bring you."
"What?"
"I didn't send the text."
"But you knew?"
Wren nodded.
"Margaret said it was the only way to make Walter come out."
Meadow pulled her hand away.
"You used me."
Wren's face crumpled.
"I didn't know he'd use gas."
"You knew it was a trap."
"I thought agents would catch him."
"You sound like them."
Wren went still.
The words landed.
Meadow immediately looked guilty.
But there was no time.
Footsteps approached.
Wren unlocked the gate.
They entered the tunnel.
Body cameras lost them.
Claire nearly collapsed.
Then Priya's team found another entrance and pursued.
In the tunnel, Meadow asked:
"Where are we going?"
"Outside."
"How far?"
"I don't know."
"You said you knew this place."
"Only part of it."
They reached a junction.
Three tunnels.
Wren stopped.
Her breathing quickened.
Meadow looked at her.
"What?"
"I don't remember."
"Okay."
"No, I have to."
"You don't."
Wren pressed both hands against her head.
"Margaret said left."
"Then go left."
"Walter said she lies."
"They both lie."
Wren stared at her.
Meadow held out her hand.
"We pick."
"What if it's wrong?"
"Then it's ours."
Wren looked at the hand.
Slowly, she took it.
They chose the center tunnel.
Behind them, someone shouted.
Walter.
"Wren!"
She froze.
Meadow pulled her.
"Keep going."
Walter's footsteps grew closer.
"Wren, she is replacing you again!"
Wren stumbled.
Meadow turned.
"No!"
Her voice echoed.
"I'm not replacing anybody!"
Walter appeared at the far end.
Unarmed.
Bleeding from one shoulder.
He looked exhausted.
"Wren."
She backed away.
"I kept you alive."
"You kept me locked up."
"Margaret would have killed the project."
"I'm not a project."
Walter looked toward Meadow.
"Your sister doesn't know what Claire did."
Meadow stepped in front of Wren.
"My mom didn't know."
Walter smiled sadly.
"Ask her about the hospital consent."
Wren's face changed.
"What consent?"
Claire, watching through an agent's recovered camera feed, felt ice move through her.
Walter continued.
"Claire signed one document before sedation."
Claire whispered, "No."
Walter looked directly toward the nearest camera.
"She signed authorization for neonatal transfer."
Claire's knees weakened.
"I didn't know."
Walter continued.
"She never read it."
Wren stared at Meadow.
Meadow said, "They tricked her."
"Maybe."
Walter held out his hand.
"Wren, come with me and I'll show you the original."
Wren stood between Walter and Meadow.
Two lives.
Two versions of truth.
Then she did something no one expected.
She stepped backward.
Away from both.
"No."
Walter's expression hardened.
"Wren."
"No more choosing."
Agents entered behind him.
Walter turned.
A shot rang out.
He fell.
Claire screamed.
But the bullet had not come from the agents.
May you like
At the far end of the tunnel stood Margaret Vale.
Holding the gun.
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